ABSTRACT

The abilities of selected cytokines to activate human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) to inhibit and kill the opportunistic fungus Cryptococcus neoformans were studied. PBMC were cultured for 7 days in cell wells containing no cytokines, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), gamma interferon (IFN-gamma), 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (vitamin D3), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), or interleukin-2 (IL-2) and were then challenged for 24 h with a fixed number of CFU of C. neoformans. The number of CFU increased in wells containing no cytokines, TNF, IFN-gamma, or vitamin D3 and remained about the same in wells containing GM-CSF. In contrast, the number of CFU in wells containing IL-2-stimulated PBMC decreased, suggesting fungicidal activity. Optimal conditions for IL-2 stimulation included a minimum of 5 days of incubation of PBMC with IL-2, a concentration of 100 U of IL-2 per ml, and a high ratio of effectors to fungi. Separation of IL-2-stimulated PBMC based upon their adherence to plastic revealed that antifungal activity resided in the nonadherent fraction. These data demonstrate that IL-2 and GM-CSF are capable of stimulating PBMC-mediated antifungal activity and suggest that these cytokines may play physiological or pharmacological roles in host defenses against cryptococcosis.